


It's a Tradition, Innit?

by raelee514



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:53:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22060612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raelee514/pseuds/raelee514
Summary: Where New Year's is their day.
Relationships: Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden
Comments: 12
Kudos: 90





	It's a Tradition, Innit?

~1~

Aaron knew going to the Sugden's on New Year's Eve was a mistake, but he hadn't been able to say no to Adam's cajoling. He wasn't sure if it's was his friend's enthusiasm for his plan to charm Victoria Sugden or that he just needed to get him to shut up about it. He owed Adam a lot, he'd been a good friend the past year what with Aaron coming out as gay —

It all just happened, and he wished he had more control of it. But once everything calmed down, and he started to feel better in his own skin. He started to feel better about it. But tonight wasn't one of the good nights. Because everyone in the Sugden's house was pairing off. One male and one female each, like they were on freaking Noah's Arc and Aaron was off to the side. 

A unicorn or something. 

He scowled at the thought because he wasn't rainbows and sunshine on a good day. Not that he wanted to be, he was him after all, but he'd been happier than he'd been in a while. But this slam of loneliness was hitting him hard. It'd been slow too, slowing building as he realized everyone around him was coupling off…

And he didn't know one other gay person. 

Not really. 

He'd been to Bar West a few times, Adam tagging along, but never met anyone that clicked. They were all — too this, or not enough that and Aaron sometimes wondered if he was a fraud, but no, he knew he was… He did. He knew he was gay. But he was learning that didn't mean you just met some other gay bloke and started dating. 

It just always seemed like it worked that way for all the straight couples around him, and it felt confusing. Maybe it wasn't, maybe it was harder for them than it seemed? All he knew was he felt alone, despite standing in a crowded kitchen. And Katie Sugden's crap music playlist blaring so loud, it was making everyone shout… 

And Aaron had a headache.

He needed some air, he wanted to breathe, and if he got sober enough — he hadn't had too many beers, he'd go get Adam's keys and drive himself home. Adam could figure out another way home — it'd been his bloody idea to come out here. And way things looked, Adam wasn't going to stop sucking Victoria's face anytime soon. 

Weren't they meant to wait until midnight? 

He pushed through the crowd in the kitchen, and out the door in the kitchen to the Sugden's back porch. He felt instant relief from the cold blast of air that hit him. It felt good on his forehead and cheeks, which were overheated from the crowd and beer. He'd closed his eyes, stepped further into it, and let the door slam behind him and blindly reach forward for the railing. 

Only he touched someone and ended up yelping. His eyes flew open, and he was looking at Robert Sugden. He was leaned against the railing, drinking straight out of the champagne bottle and looking completely nonplussed by Aaron walking into him. 

"Happy New Year to you too, Dingle." 

"What you doing out here?" 

"This is my house," Robert drawled at him and took another swig of champagne before his voice went sullen. "Can do whatever I fucking want."

"Uh…" Aaron looked around for what he didn't know? An escape plan, something to say, a way to be — which was a laugh because he hadn't a clue on that on a good day. He shoved his hoodie sleeves over his hands and sort of turned into a circle. He thought about going back inside, but it was never formed fully because it was the last place he wanted to be. 

So he sighed and leaned against the wall of the house. 

"Staying then?"

"Beats being in there," Aaron grumbled. 

Robert nodded. 

Aaron tried not to look at him, but the light from the kitchen window was like a spotlight on Robert. And it was hard not to look, it always was with Robert. Aaron was pretty sure he didn't like Robert Sugden — no one did, or no one expected too. That was just the rule of the village, he thought, though thinking about it now that seemed weird. It wasn't that he was unlikable or anything, Aaron realized. He was snarky and a bit of arse, but so was he? And he was fit…

Real fit. 

And he wore stupid clothes that wouldn't work anyone but somehow worked on him. He was wearing one of those dumb jumpers of his now, with the elbow patches and a pair of fitted jeans. That maybe shouldn't be allowed in polite public…. Aaron made his eyes look up, but it was really no better. He could see his fucking freckles, and his eyes seemed greener than usual, didn't they? How did he know Robert's usual? It wasn't like he had a crush on him? Okay, maybe if he had nothing better to do and Robert was within sight he'd stare…

Sometimes you needed something nice to look at. 

Green eyes met his. 

Aaron blushed and averted his eyes to the champagne bottle. 

"Sure…" Robert muttered and handed it over. 

Aaron took it and tried to ignore the brush of their fingers. 

"Why are you out here," Robert asked.

"Too crowded."

"Your best mate snogging my sister still?"

Aaron shrugged. 

Robert made a face. 

Aaron handed back the bottle after a taste, which made him scrunch of up his face. Besides the bubbles, he couldn't figure out why'd people drink it.

"It's better than that cheap beer Andy bought…" Robert muttered. 

"Where did you get it?"

"They bought a few bottles of it for the countdown… like they'll miss one."

Aaron nodded. 

"Why aren't you with your boyfriend?" 

Aaron gaped at him. "What?"

"Your boyfriend, that twat with the curly air that you punched?"

"Jackson?" Aaron wrinkled up his nose and thought of the brief disaster that was his relationship with Jackson. "That's been over forever."

"Oh…"

"Why aren't you with…. Blonde of the week?" Aaron ended up asking, realizing he'd never cared or found out any of the names of the women he'd seen Robert with. 

Robert groaned. "That's all anyone thinks, isn't it? Oh, look, there is Robert with another blonde girl he'll hurt… better warn her off and get her to distrust him before anything actually happens. It's all a circle though ain't it… I mean, are you as bad as they say if you keep doing it, or it's some sort of twisted circle of prophecy."

"That's…that's makes no sense."

Robert started laughing. "You know I tried, I really tried with Chrissie… but she wouldn't trust me, and I got pissed off and anger and…"

"Slept with her sister?" Aaron suddenly supplied remembering the rumors.

"No…" Robert laughed. "That's what everyone assumed."

"What you do, then?"

"Her Dad has this driver, his name is Connor. I did him." 

Aaron's mouth fell open. 

"What do you think they'd all do I brought a guy home next? Believe me, that it's what I like, or just think I'm out for attention?"

"Is it?"

"What?"

"What you like?"

"Yeah."

"Are you gay then?"

"No," Robert shrugged. "Definitely not."

"Huh."

"Yeah. Why are you here, never said?"

"I don't think you have either."

Robert offered him more champagne. 

Aaron took it and gulped it down. Still making a face. "I feel out of place in there."

"Yeah? I get that."

"YOu do?"

"Alone in the crowd, off the to side?"

Aaron nodded. 

"Yeah, welcome to being like Robert Sugden."

Aaron looked at him. Really looked at him and saw similar loneliness reflected back and a sadness in his eyes that felt hard and deep. That'd probably been there a really long time. And he knew that feeling too. "Wanna…"

"What?"

"Wanna go to Bar West instead of here?" Aaron heard himself say and instantly regretted it.

"Why not…I'll call us a taxi though, we'll be cutting it close to midnight."

"Whatever," Aaron said, but he nodded.

And it turned out to be a better New Year than he expected.

~2~

2 years later

Aaron hated her. 

She was clever and snarky, which made her perfect for Robert. And Robert looked at her sometimes like she was surprised she existed and Aaron wanted it to be him. He isn't sure when he fell for Robert. He'd always thought he was fit, but then they were best mates who banded together because no one but others really understood them. Understood feeling on the outside, understood always being misunderstood. 

Robert knew him, all his secrets, all his darkness — and still thought he was amazing. And how could you not fall in love with someone who called you amazing? Though he hadn't said it lately and it was because of her…

Libby. 

Aaron hated her, and he took a gulp of champagne, which he still didn't like and walked out of the Woolie into the back alley, realizing he was going to drink it alone this year. They wouldn't be ringing in the New Year together, and it felt wrong. It wasn't like it was a tradition or anything, didn't you have to say those things out loud. He wasn't sure why he'd bothered coming down from his room, knowing Robert would bring her. He'd run it by Aaron first, with that hopeful smile of his and looking in Aaron right in the eye like he did. Aaron wanted to say no, but he couldn't…

Probably didn't know how. Not to Robert. 

He took another long gulp.

"You know, you're supposed to save some for me," Robert was suddenly in front of him. "What are you doing out here?"

"Too crowded."

"You alright?" Robert's voice went soft, and he peered into Aaron's eyes, hovering close but not too close. Checking if Aaron was having an anxiety attack and Aaron felt his heart pitter-patter. 

"Yeah," he breathed. 

Robert frowned and took the bottle. 

"Shouldn't you be inside," Aaron pressed.

"You're out here."

"What about, Libby?"

Robert shrugged. "I told her, you and I have a tradition, didn't I? I mean I like her a lot, and all, why I brought her, but this is our…"

Aaron stared at him.

"It is our thing, right?"

Aaron nodded. 

"Happy New Year," Robert grinned and handed him the bottle.

~3~

Aaron forced his grin to stay on his face as his boyfriend Bryan droned on about being sorry for having to leave before midnight, and next year he'll get a better shift rotation at the hospital. Aaron nodded and blathered on how he understood it was his duty, and it's not a big deal, he's used to Bryan's weird schedule…

Because he liked Bryan's weird schedule. It meant they couldn't be locked at the hip all the bloody time. Bryan was getting more and more clingy, and Aaron was not sure what to do about it. But it was New Year's Eve, and he'd been counting on Bryan's schedule making it so he wouldn't have to tell him that he'd rather ring in the new year drinking crappy champagne with Robert than be with him. 

It'd would've caused a fight and Aaron just thought it all best avoided. But Bryan wasn't getting in his fucking car. "You better hurry, you'll be late as it is and it's starting to snow…"

Bryan nodded. "Just wish I could ring the New Year in with you…" he grinned at Aaron. 

"Yeah, huh uh," Aaron hedged and kissed his cheek. "Call me when your shift is over."

"We'll plan our own special celebration," Bryan said and finally got in his car. Aaron waved goodbye, breathed a sigh of relief when the car turned the corner and hurried inside. When he'd left, Robert was sitting with Victoria and Adam, only now he was nowhere in sight. Aaron frowned and walked over to the table, and Adam moved over and patted the seat. 

"Where is Robert?"

Adam and Victoria exchanged glances.

Aaron scowled at them to answer. 

"He, uh… went into town."

"He what?" Aaron stared at them.

"That new gay bar, he's checking it out with Finn."

"What?" Aaron felt knocked sideways. "He hates Finn."

"Well…" Victoria sighed. 

"What?"

"He thought you were going to spend tonight with Bryan."

"What? No," Aaron scoffed. 

"Did you two discuss it?"

"Well, no but…"

"Look, I don't know what you two usually do when you slink off together, but he was right down about it not happening this year — and now you're telling me you two didn't even talk about it?" Victoria rolled her eyes in annoyance. 

"What bar did you say?" 

~~~

The guy at the door almost doesn't let Aaron in. He took one look at his clothes, hoodie, and jeans and rolled his eyes at him. But Aaron put on his best Cain face and told the guy he better let him. Somehow it worked, Aaron doesn't know how — he's been told he can look pretty intimidating and he does know how to use his fists. Maybe it comes across. Either way, he made inside and is instantly worried. 

The bar was crowded, too crowded, and Aaron wondered if it was over maximum capacity. The music was loud and not at all to his taste, but it was Robert's, and he started instantly looking for the dance floor. Only everyone seemed to think everywhere was the dance floor. And half the couples weren't dancing to the music, just some weird couple beat of their own.

He pushed through the crowd, looking for tall blondes and but none of them were Robert. He was ready to give up when he heard Finn Barton yelling his name, and he turned. Finn was at the bar, chatting with a bloke, who seemed well into Finn. So much he was glaring at Aaron, so Aaron scowled back at him, and he slumped down his seat a bit. 

"Robert said you were busy tonight," Finn yelled. 

"I'm not. Know where he is?"

"Said he was going to the bogs, but that was ages ago…"

Aaron rolled his eyes and walked away and tried to figure out where the bogs were. It was a longshot Robert actually went there, he was probably just leaving Finn alone with the guy he pulled. He found the bogs and felt a bit of relief that the crowd was thinner around the doors. But there was no Robert in them or outside them, and he sighed. He stood against a wall and scanned the crowd. 

How was he meant to find him? 

"Need help?" it was a woman, petite, and with a nice face.

"Can't find someone," he muttered.

"Specific someone or just someone to suit your needs?"

"My mate."

"What does he look like, been sitting here forever waiting for my girlfriend to stop dancing… I don't dance."

Aaron snorted. "Me either, my mate does, though… if you can call it that."

"Well, it can't be as bad as that…" she pointed to two people making some of the worst dance moves Aaron had ever seen. And relief flooded his body. "That's my mate."

"Oh…" she burst out laughing. "I think he and my girlfriend are bad dancing soulmates… but if you get him away from her, so she and can get back to our date, that'd be great."

"Sure…" Aaron smiled a bit and made his way toward Robert. He tapped him on the shoulder, making him jumped and turn. His eyes going wide with shock. 

"Aaron?"

"Yeah," Aaron cocked his head. 

And soon, they were stepping out of the bar, and Aaron was thankful to get away from all the noise. "What the hell?" he said to Robert.

"Huh?"

"You just leave to go on the pull with Finn?"

"I'm not on the pull, he was on the pull… I just…"

"What?"

"DIdn't feel like being a third wheel with Vic and Adam."

"What about me?"

"Felt like being less of a third wheel with you and Bryan."

"Bryan had to work, I was planning on spending the night with you, wasn't I!"

"You were?"

"Tradition innit?" Aaron sighed and shook his head.

"Oh….' Robert laughed and scratched the back of his head. "We don't have any champagne."

"Who cares… just… didn't wanna be anywhere else," Aaron muttered and felt stupid until he saw Robert was nodding in agreement.

~4~

"What do you mean he said he was gonna spend the New Year with someone special?" Aaron shouted.

Vic shushed him and yanked him into her flat. "I just told you all I know."

Aaron shook his head. "But…"

Vic sighed. "You know maybe if you just told him you're crazy about him, he wouldn't make different plans… I don't get it. Every freaking year you two go out of your way to spend tonight together. But you never discuss it beforehand. So what if he's made other plans, Aaron."

"But…"

"I know. Big love announcement, blah, blah, blah. But he's been moping around here for a week thinking you've been ignoring him."

"I had to save up…" Aaron muttered, thinking about the very expensive champagne he had in the boot of his car. "He said someone special?"

"All I know was he was alone with Bernice, and then he announced he was going to spend tonight with someone special."

"WHO?"

"I don't know, do I look like I can read his mind? No one can read his mind."

"I can…"

"Ugh. You two. For all I know he MEANT YOU, you numbnut… but I can't be sure because the two of you have been stupid for years now. So just, go be an idiot somewhere else. Because speaking of them, I'm expecting Adam any time now…." Vic shoved him out her door and closed it. 

Aaron frowned and started to fiddle with the tie he was wearing. He felt ridiculous and uncomfortable in the suit — but it was something that Robert would like, and he'd wanted everything to be perfect. Well, his surprise for Robert was already off to a horrible start. He was finally going to say it, tell him the truth about his feelings — because certain things and moments lately were whispering at him that maybe he had a shot. Maybe Robert loved him a too, as more than just his friend and they could be something else…

And since New Year was their thing, it was their day, he thought he'd do it then — make it fancier than usual, make it a date. And now this…

Maybe Vic was right, and Robert had been talking about him? 

He walked to his car and leaned against the boot. He'd already left him a million texts, but maybe a billionth would get answered… It felt like he was being ignored, and maybe he'd been avoiding Robert as he planned for tonight. Nervous if he saw him too soon, he'd blurt it out, and that wasn't what he wanted to do…

Not at all. 

He was about to text when his phone lit up. 

It was a text from Robert. 

_Meet me at the farmhouse, back porch, you know where_

Aaron frowned. The Sugden's had lost the farmhouse years ago, as far as Aaron knew no one lived there, and it was just empty shell of a building on land that wasn't good for farming any longer. Why would Robert want to meet there? He frowned and texted him back…

_I didn't wanna say, but I made us….um a reservation._

_You what?"_

_Where are you? I can come pick you up? We can still make it._

_The farmhouse, just come here, alright?_

Aaron sighed and chewed his lip. 

_Vic said you wanted to be with someone special…_

_Well, yeah, if he'd just get here already…. Aaron please?_

His insides swooped with sudden nerves, and he hurried into his car and drove far too fast, especially on the icy roads, towards the farm. The house was dark, and the land around it darker, but as he got closer, he saw Robert's car, and it was running because Robert had hooked something hooked up to his battery. He followed the cable and blinked as he rounded the corner to the back porch and saw Robert wrapped twinkling bright white lights around the railings. 

"What?"

"You're in a suit," Robert stared at him, his mouth open.

"What've you done…" he pointed at the lights. 

"You're wearing a tie…"

"Robert?"

"Is that the silk one I got you…" Robert muttered suddenly close enough to touch his tie. Aaron swallowed as his scent washed over him, and his long, deft fingers fixed up his tie for him. 

"What is all this for?" they said at the same time and burst out laughing. 

"I think you know…" they said in unison a second later. 

Robert chuckled, and Aaron felt their foreheads touch. 

Their eyes met. 

"I love you," they whispered together.


End file.
